


one & only youth

by sandpapersnowman



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Conversations, Family Dynamics, Gen, Missing Scene, Pre-Canon, sometimes a family is brick mordecai and their daughter tina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 21:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19894576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: "Hey," Tina interrupts suddenly, "I want a tattoo."Brick laughs, Mordecai gives her an immediatehell no, Tina, you're 15, and Maya, to her fathers' horror, thinks about it.





	one & only youth

**Author's Note:**

> set post bl2, pre bl3!
> 
> title from phoenix's [Holdin' On Together](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/phoenix/holdinontogether.html)

Maya seems to be comfortable on Athenas, despite her past. Things have changed, and without the old Order around to manipulate the population it's easy to forget they ever lived in fear of her. 

Ava is studying while Maya catches up with the three of them, the _B-Team_ , sitting in one of the sparsely decorated pavilions on the Order grounds.

Tina has never been terribly concerned with Siren things — growing up around Lilith made them kinda mundane, truth be told, not nearly the spectacle others make of it. The tattoos are pretty, though, especially when they come to life bright enough to cast shadows.

Maya looks good. Her hair has grown _long_ , and her new cloak drapes around her in a way that exudes wisdom and mystery and lowkey Hot Sorceress vibes.

Mordecai is telling Maya about the repairs they need to do on their own ship before they can leave the system again. Maya made the four of them tea even though she's the only one drinking it, and Tina watches in idle fascination the way her 'tattoos' glimmer impossibly when the muscles in her arm expand and contract.

Something occurs to her. 

"Hey," Tina interrupts suddenly, "I want a tattoo."

Brick laughs, Mordecai gives her an immediate _hell no, Tina, you're 15_ , and Maya, to her fathers' horror, thinks about it.

"I could ask," Maya shrugs. "I don't know if they'd do them on anyone outside of the Order, but they probably will if I said so. It'd be hand-tapped, though."

_Yes,_ Tina shrieks, as Mordecai yelps another, more forceful _hell no_.

"Hold on," Brick interrupts them all. One massive hand lands hard on Mordecai's chest to keep him from standing from the table, and the other lands gently on Tina's shoulder in a Fatherly Fashion. "Do you just want _a_ tattoo?" he asks, "Or do you want something specific?" 

Tina nods, her ever-energetic bouncing intensifying.

"Specific."

"What do you want?" Brick asks softly.

Tina glances between Maya, Mordecai, and Brick, fingers twitching up to her arm and tapping over muscle. 

"I want Roland's name. Something fancy, y'know?" Her fingers tap quicker. "Maybe in the same place his was, but I think I might get his real tattoo in the same place, instead." 

Mordecai relaxes under Brick's hand. The swear he mutters is probably too low for Tina or Maya to hear, but the growl buzzes at Brick's fingertips enough. 

"I think that'd be nice, Tina," Brick says, smiling between her and Mordecai. "I'm okay with it if Mordy is."

Maya mumbles something under her breath about _it's not_ you _getting a tattoo_ , and Tina gives her a quick solidarity fistbump, and the three of them look to Mordecai.

He sighs. 

"So I'm the bad guy if I say no, huh?" he frowns directly at Brick. "Why do you always get to be the fun dad?" 

"Because I am," Brick shrugs.

Mordecai sighs again. 

"You know tattoos hurt, right?" 

Tina snorts.

"I eat nails for breakfast and glass for dinner," she insists. "I can handle a little buzzy buzz."

"Tappy-tap," Maya corrects.

"Tappy-tap," Tina shrugs.

"We feed you balanced meals," Brick frowns, though he goes apparently unheard.

It takes almost an hour of bickering and bargaining, most of which Tina and Maya sit out, before Mordecai finally cracks. 

"Fine," he groans. "If Tina wants a tattoo for Roland, and the monks are okay with it, and she can tolerate it, then she — _fine_."

" _Yes_ ," Tina yelps, a little too loud, diving across the table to hug Mordecai. "You're the best mom _ever_."

Mordecai rolls his eyes and hugs her back. Even though he mutters 'I'm not your mom', Maya and Brick both smirk at the fond way his mouth quirks up about it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on tumblr as [sandpapersnowman](sandpapersnowman.tumblr.com) and discord as lyric/ille#8582! hmu!


End file.
